Abigail Kamp

Language Teacher Identity Reflection 1

May 27, 2024

C&T 598

I think the main worry that I have for teaching is, simply, my lack of knowledge about how to

teach. I am not studying any kind of education field, and my only correlation with language

education is that I’m learning Korean—even though we’re teaching English. I also wouldn’t say

I have a strong fear of public speaking, but I’m just not good at it. Generally, I don’t think I’m

very prepared to be a teacher at this moment, especially for students that already aren’t fluent in

the language I will be explaining to them.

Reading the material provided helped me in some aspects but also worried me in others.

With my experience regarding Korean Americans, my Korean friends and peers had always

explained or demonstrated to me that they value the English language with very high regards,

and highlighted how they felt it was often crucial to understand and be able to speak the

language. Many who didn’t know the language well also described to me how isolated they felt

without that ability, or some wanted their children to learn English to better fit in, which I was

occasionally asked to help with. Honestly, as an English speaker, I think I felt that I had a quality

that I could use to help others who also desired it, and when first arriving to Korea, I think that

the school kids’ and staff’s excitement about our being there had initially fostered that.

However, once I interacted more with the students and went through the readings, my

perception shifted greatly. I particularly started to note the difference between Korean

Americans, who actively wanted to become citizens of the United States and learn the language
since they wanted to adapt into the culture, with young Korean students instead, who have the

language often being “shoved down their throats” in a manner that makes their practical speech

and conversational ability almost unattainable when paired with several other highly demanding

classes.

I think what helped me most about all the readings was how my perception shifted about

myself as an English teacher in a foreign country afterwards, and plotting what I can do to better

approach the material that I will be teaching, knowing now how different the students are than

my expectations. The article that I mainly focused on was by “Cho and Peter,” in which a few

points morphed my ideas the most: Firstly, a quote stating that “simply being a native speaker of

English does not grant them special authority as teachers of English.” I think with many of those

I had prior interacted with, being one of the few English speakers they knew well (since many

Korean American peers of mine “stick together” from fear of speaking poor English and general

ease) and learning enough Korean to somewhat help with translation, I had in fact felt quite

entitled and privileged in my role, and felt confident teaching Koreans living in the U.S more of

the “American way” of speaking and acting, as that is often how many of my peers wished to

learn. However, I realized this is a completely different perspective than that which I should be

bringing to this experience, and that my main goal should be more so to learn, adapt, investigate,

and reflect on the language and culture of native Koreans, and not the other way around to best

prepare to teach students. This was also one of the main ideas in the first chapter of the textbook

readings, which highlighted that no matter the generalized teaching technique applied, the best

pedagogy is usually what is built based on the community and sociocultural aspects of the

learners themselves. Though this is a great change to now understand better, it did make me feel
more insecure in my teaching because I knew less what I was getting myself into. I felt a little

like I was starting from square one again.

Another mention in the article, which was the overarching concept in “English Fever in

South Korea” and “English, Tracking, and Neoliberalization of Education in South Korea” was

the reforms and policies constructed in South Korea based on the English language that further

launched the “English fever.” Prior to the readings, I knew that the Korean education system was

becoming arguably problematic, though I hadn’t quite realized the extent, of course, until I

arrived. I had presumed that learning the language was similar to how U.S students regard

learning foreign languages, but I didn’t fully realize how privileged we were by not having our

own language forsaken or diminished by the competitive nature and glorification of another.

Learning Korean is something I find non-essential and am often applauded for doing, and I enjoy

it thoroughly because it is not demanded or expected of me, but a fun, culture-exploring activity

that entertains me. Yet, and I cannot stress enough—this is not even close to how many of the

girls at school seem to view English. When I ask a hundred students a day if they enjoy learning

English, I get maybe two “yes” responses from the girls, and I speculate that it might have been

out of pity for or to appease me. If I ask what hobbies they have, or what they do after school, the

girls very often reply that they do not have time for hobbies, that they do homework after school,

or don’t have any fun things that they enjoy doing. English, it seems, is often the last motivation

on their mind. This also made me more prepared, but more hesitant, about trying to engage the

kids in something that I assumed would be naturally engaging like it is for me. I also feel that I

know little about the activities that Korean students enjoy, and I’m not sure yet how best to

incorporate their passions into learning to keep them more interested in the material.
 I’ve gained a lot of empathy from the students in this aspect, which is something that the

Cho and Peter article encouraged out of this practicum a lot as well. I think that I’ve learned

more about what kind of acclimating and adjustments I can expect to make so that my teaching

will benefit the students more. I also feel that I now understand better how I should be thinking

of myself as an English teacher, and in a way that will engage learners and best meet everyone’s

interests. I think being open to this change and ready to learn will be my best strategy going

forward.

I think what only concerns me now, is just that the readings really opened my eyes up to

how oblivious I was being about what I thought I knew of Korean culture, and how little I

realistically know going into this, especially with my already stated fears about teaching in

general. However, I also feel more confident in the sense that I’m not as “in the dark” as I was

before, and that I’ve learned a better strategy for how to prepare to teach a class—one that best

revolves around the students and their interests, hobbies, culture, and language.